We are looking for a Senior Home and Gift Designer to join Team OB in our Support Office on a 10 – 12 month maternity cover contract. As the Senior Home and Gift Designer, you will bring our concepts to life using your expertise to develop home and gifting collections that our customers will love. You will lead your product categories within home and gift, to develop multi-product areas. Reporting to the Head of Home and Gift Design, you will work on projects from initial concept through to completion using your practical skills to support both your imagination and visualisation. You will work collaboratively with the Home and Gift Designers as well as the Home and Gift Buyers and Merchandisers, in delivering an authentic and desirable collection. In the role you will be the ultimate problem solver, taking time to think about challenges and propose solutions of how to solve them. You will be adaptable and think on your feet and set an example to more junior team members, inspiring and motivating them, ensuring the top line strategy and design values are met and cascaded through the business. Our Support Office is based in Tolworth, near Chessington, only a 30-minute journey from London Waterloo. We offer hybrid working of 3 days in the office and 2 days home working each week. A bit about us … At Oliver Bonas (OB), our values of Work Hard, Play Hard & Be Kind are integral to everything we do. Collaboration, imagination, curiosity, and teamwork are key to our success, and everyone has their part to play in making OB a special place to work. Having fun is key, and a playful and positive approach creates an optimistic environment. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we are serious about what we do. Our team knows their stuff. They’re confident and creative and unafraid to challenge convention to find solutions, taking accountability for their actions, but always with kindness and humility. More about the role … An OB Senior Home and Gift Designer will: Demonstrate understanding of OB brand, values and DNA Design and create the home and gift collection from concept through to production, developing the range collaboratively alongside the Design and Buying teams Create and develop original concepts for the home and gifting collections that compliments the Oliver Bonas design ethos Lead the design and development of a collection that is sympathetic and reactive to sales performance while still driving excitement and newness to the range within your assigned categories Translate themes and trends into ideas and concepts for each season’s collections, including colour palette, pattern, materials and product Develop and design product with a unique point of difference to ensure we are the world’s pre-eminent British design-led lifestyle retailer and constantly innovate and bring new ideas and concepts to the table Collaborate with the Print Designer to ensure print requirements are being met and work with Buying and Merchandising teams to ensure the collection is cohesive Collaborate with other departments within the business, such as fashion, to create new and exciting ranges or projects Assist the Head of Home and Gift Design and Design team in creating seasonal department concepts and themes, colour palettes and trend research that are in line with the brands handwriting and vision Research and assist the Head of Home and Gift Design with sourcing new materials and techniques that work specific for product categories Conduct trend research and market analysis resulting in recommendations and new areas of potential business across all Home and Gift categories Collaborate with the Buying and Merchandising teams, analysing and creating new seasonal strategy plans for the department that are in line with the top line strategy plan and company vision Review and approve all product specification, final designs, colourways and final samples at sign off meetings Work closely with our supplier base to understand and develop capability Carry out sourcing and attending inspirational trips, feeding back to teams and business to inspire others Build ranges and develop collections collaboratively with the Buying team, ensuring the range is balanced and commercial, while maintaining excitement within the collection Work with the Product Technologists, and communicate technical knowledge to the team where relevant Manage supplier communications with product development knowledge across the categories Give clear, concise and direct feedback whilst remaining respectful and keeping brand values in mind Co-ordinate and communicate seasonal design themes with the Buying team and fellow design team members Bonas Benefits: Generous employee discount up to 50% off all OB products Free access to our 24 hour employee assistance programme with Care First – offering financial, emotional and vocational support Flexible holiday – 33 days (including bank holidays) – increasing to 35 days with length of service Annual discretionary profit related bonus scheme Free membership for our Westfield Health Cash Plan or Private Medical Free access to our onsite gym Cycle to work scheme Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Voice network and EDI team Mental Health First Aider support What we look for: A Textiles or Product Design BA Hons or equivalent qualification Knowledge of construction and manufacturing processes Technical knowledge of product design The ability to connect with the OB brand identity and an understanding of the OB handwriting Excellent drawing skills and technical drawing ability Good eye for colour, pattern and detail Expert computer skills including CAD, Adobe Suite, Photoshop, and Illustrator Big ideas and a strong conceptual imagination Confident communicator with the ability to influence and persuade Team player and collaborative Ambition to be part of a dynamic Design team and create a market defining brand Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at OB At Oliver Bonas, our promise is to do our bit to make living a joyful experience and give cause for optimism. This promise is central to our work in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). To bring joy to others, we must first ensure everyone at OB feels valued, included and most importantly, can be themselves at work. It is important to us that our brand reflects wider society and the communities in which we operate. As a result, we welcome all eligible applicants for this role however we are particularly interested in speaking to eligible candidates from the Black, Asian & Mixed Heritage communities. Oliver Bonas is a Disability Confident Committed employer under the Disability Confident employer scheme. To read more about our ED&I commitments, head over to the EDI page on our website: https://www.oliverbonas.com/meet-the-team/diversity